Symphonic Despair
by Serodin007
Summary: This is a very serious story about a very serious subject, and is not for the faint of heart. You'll understand once you start reading. However, it is one of the best stories I've written, and the first to upload. RentonXEureka and a little HollandXTalho
1. Disclaimer and Part A

**Psalms of Planets**

**Eureka seveN**

Author's notes…

This fanfiction keeps with it a high respect for all the characters in Eureka Seven, as well as their feelings. In no way do I disrespect the characters, or dismiss the feelings given to them by the writers of the series. This fanfic is intended to tell a story, fictional to the series, but still very real. The topic is very dark, and may disturb some readers. However, if you are saddened by the events in this story, and you cannot read on, know that the story has a happy ending, and that you can be satisfied that the oppressors get their "just deserts". But please enjoy this story as a work of fiction, that in no way displays my wants or needs (in other words, I don't in any way wish to attempt the heinous act done in this story).

**Eureka seveN**

This takes place on an alternate storyline, somewhere after the 26th episode, however, Eureka has not experienced trying to rejoin with the Scub Coral as she did in Episode 19 of the series. Eureka and Renton have had time to realize their feelings for each other, however, they have still not come out and told each other exactly how they feel.

And now, the story:

**

* * *

**

"This way, Eureka!" called Renton Thurston to his beloved. She was wearing her hair the way she always did, with two gold banana clips in her hair, cut short and teal in color. She was wearing her usual light blue and white clothing, a small leather purse in her hands. She skipped up to Renton with a smile.

"You need to stop running so fast!" she said to him. "I can't keep up with you if you keep running!" Renton chuckled. He grabbed her hand and they continued to walk through the market area of Gianis. People were talking with each other, and it was quite crowded. They walked and walked, picking up a small piece of food here and there, just spending a little of their own money. They laughed and giggled with each other, just happy to be with each other on this sunny day. The trapers were very thin today, so the air was even clearer. It was one of those perfect days. Renton and Eureka were enjoying it ever so much.

The spent the day walking around and enjoying the city. It was an old city, with an old pile tower in the center of it all. It was decorated in a festive design, with a lot of reds and greens. The Gekkostate was there to enjoy all the festivities that day, and Renton and Eureka saw it as a chance to spend some time together. The children were with Hilda ("I'll let you two enjoy your day off," she said)

"Come on," said Renton, late in the day, "We'd better get back to the Gekko," She smiled at him, and he blushed. He couldn't help it, he loved her so much and couldn't resist enjoying her company, and her beautiful face. She followed him through the streets. The crowds were leaving now, and there were only a few people left. Soon enough, they passed through a dark alley. They were talking about this and that.

"So, I said to him, 'look, I don't really care, if you have something to say, then just say it,'" boasted Renton, "Then, he punched me!" and Eureka giggled, "Well, it seems like you deserved it!" They kept walking, alley through alley, getting further away from the main crowd. The buildings around here were mostly brick, and some were falling apart. Not the kind of area Renton was comfortable with.

"It's getting dark," Eureka said. She had fallen a little behind Renton. He could hear her footsteps echoing in the dark. "Yeah, but, you know, it's kinda' peaceful. Don't you agree?" He looked over his shoulder with a smile.

His heart stopped. She was walking quietly behind him smiling, but there was something moving behind there.

"Yeah, it is kinda' peaceful-" A horrible look came over Renton's face. A dark hand had grabbed Eureka by the mouth and the belly. The figure snatched her and began to drag her, kicking and trying to scream, towards an open door.

Renton jumped into action. "STOP! GET OFF OF HER!" he screamed. She was muffling a scream to him, he eyes wide and scared. Not knowing what to do, Renton just ran after her, into the house. 'Damn! If only I hadn't let her out of my eyes!'

He entered the door and saw the man with Eureka. He was unstrapping her dress. Renton's blood flowed through his body. He was pissed. "You bastard! How dare you touch her like that!" He charged at the man, who was tall and thin, with dark black hair, cut short. He was in a dark room with old wallpaper that was peeling. He couldn't see. He just charged forward at the shape. Before he could reach the man, who was laughing and tickling Eureka on the neck, Renton was struck on the head with a pole, and he went limp and fell to the ground, dazed, but not unconscious.

There was a second man in the room. He looked similar to the other man. He was standing in a corner, and had thrown the pole at Renton while he had charged. Now the man was stepping forward. Eureka was still struggling and lashing out, trying to get away. The man holding her was now unsnapping her other shoulder strap, and licking her cheek. "Damn, your cute!" he said, laughing manically. "Hey!" he said to the other man, "What should we do with this boy?"

"Hell if I know. But, let's have some fun with her already! We don't get a catch like this very often!"

Renton was getting up, and the man who was in the corner stamped on his back, and ground his foot into Renton's back. Renton groaned in pain. "Damn you guys! Let her go! LET HER G-" the man kicked him in the side. "Shut up! Or we'll kill both of you! Noah, should we tie him up or something?" The man holding Eureka responded, "No… but… I have an idea!" He had been sucking on her ear, tasting her flesh like a sick leech. "Lets force him to do the first job! Looks like he loves her, too! This should be interesting!" He continued sucking her ear. He spoke again. "Help me take her clothes off. Do whatever you want to her in the process,"

Renton was infuriated. He found new strength and forced the man's foot off of his back. He got up and tried to tackle the man, but the man was just too big for him. The other man kicked Renton in the stomach, sending him reeling into a wall. Renton caught himself, bounced off the wall and charged again. "You guys are going to pay for this, I swear it on my –" He got kicked again. His strength was fading fast. He couldn't keep fighting. A few more scrapes and he was down. The man who had been in the corner got down on his knees next to Renton and grabbed his hair. "Hey, kid, I want to have some fun with your girlfriend here! But, I'm a courteous guy, so I'll let you have first dibs if you want!" Renton shook his head violently, trying to free himself from the man's grip, to no avail. "NO! I'LL NEVER DO THAT TO HER!"

"Ok, but you're sure gonna miss out, and I doubt she'll be much fun after we're through with her!" He threw Renton's head into the floor, where Renton got a taste of dirt in his mouth. "Noah!" said the man, "Let me have her first, and you tie this boy up. There's rope in the other room."

"Got it, Ned." He "handed off" Eureka to Ned and he left the room, returning a moment later with some rope. He tied Renton up, and threw him into a corner. Then, he grabbed Eureka and violently pulled her clothes off. He took out a small knife and cut her underwear off, then smelled them. "Smells good!" he said, chuckling evilly. "You ready, Noah?" Renton watched, struggling with the knots, horrified. He wanted to do something desperately, but he was helpless. Noah answered him with a nod. Eureka stumbled out of Noah's grip, and began to run towards Renton. But she didn't get far. She screamed as Ned grabbed her butt hard and forced her head down. He unzipped his pants and pulled out his penis. He was going to try to have his way with her. Noah stood by her head, and also pulled out his penis, poking Eureka in the cheek with it. "Open your mouth!" he yelled at her. She was crying, tears spilling out of her eyes. She was terrified. She didn't open her mouth. "OPEN YOUR MOUTH OR WE'LL KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND!! DO IT!!" she reluctantly did it. They readied themselves for her body. Ned slapped her butt like he was spanking her. Renton stood in the corner. "YOU FUCKING BASTARDS! I'LL KILL YOU IF I EVER GET FREE! I'LL CUT YOUR FUCKING GUTS OUT, DO YOU HEAR ME?! I'LL KILL YOU!" Eureka looked at him with regret filling her teary eyes. Her eyes said, "I'm sorry", and "I love you," at the same time.

"Did you hear something? Ned" Said Noah in a mocking tone. "It _sounds _like something we'll have to kill, oh well, let's have some fun!"

"Yeah!"

"You go first!" said Noah.

Ned put his hand on his penis, aiming.

A door kicked open.

His penis got closer.

Quick paces on the hardwood floor were heard

He stroked her vagina with his penis, up and down, ready to insert.

Renton screamed.

Eureka cried.

A gun rose.

A finger trembled.

BANG BANG.

Suddenly, Ned and Noah fell to the ground, clutching their skulls. They had been shot in the head. Eureka tumbled to the ground and scampered immediately towards Renton. She turned towards the man who had fired the shots, who was now standing in the doorway. His face was covered in shadow. "GET AWAY!" Said Eureka, curled up in the corner where Renton was.

"It's alright," said the man. "It's me, it's Holland," He took a step forward where the moonlight could shine on his face. It was definitely Holland. He had come to save them.

**A-part End**


	2. Part B

**B-Part Start**

"Look, just…I don't want to explain it right now. Just get the 606 over here to pick us up." Holland put away his cell phone, putting it in his pocket.

It had been only a few minutes after the terrible rape attempt on Eureka. Eureka sat in a corner, Holland's jacket on her shoulders, covering her naked body. Renton sat in the corner he had been thrown into, head buried in his knees. Holland had cut his ropes. Everyone was quiet.

Holland walked slowly over to Eureka. He kneeled down next to her and began to talk to her.

"Eureka?" She didn't respond. Tears still slowly came out of her wide eyes. She was obviously re-living the incident through her mind. Her body was shaking slightly. "Eureka," She still didn't respond. Her tears came with short sobs now. Holland looked sad. "Eureka, I promise, I won't let anyone ever touch you again. I'm sure Renton agrees with me. He already risked everything he had to save you, and though he couldn't do much, I'm sure he'd give it all for you again," She nodded her head. The tears didn't stop. Holland spoke again. "Eureka, know this. Renton will always love you, and we'll always protect you, ok."

She nodded again. Renton stood up from the corner. There was some dried blood beneath his nose. He scraped it off and walked over to Eureka, and kneeled down next to her. He grabbed her in an embrace. She tried to get away, probably because of what had happened to her earlier, but Renton held her tight. He whispered in her ear, "I'll never let you go again. I'll do anything to keep you safe. Oh Eureka, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He was losing his control. Eureka's face softened. She was no longer terrified, but now, she was just sad. She buried her face in Renton's shoulder, and wrapped her hands around his chest. She cried and wailed uncontrollably. She clenched Renton's back, pulling him closer. "Eureka?" said Renton, sobbing, "Can I… can I cry with you?" He blushed, though he was ashamed that he was. He was pressing himself against her naked body, and that made him embarrassed, but he was doing it for her, not for himself. He and she cried for a long time.

Renton said to her, after the crying had slowed, "Eureka, I love you. I will protect you. You know that, right?" She nodded slowly, her face still buried in his shirt, which was now soaked in tears. Holland was standing next to them, quiet, occasionally looking out the boarded window for signs of the 606 or Mattheiu.

Renton looked up from Eureka's shoulder, still embracing her. His eyes were bloodshot, tears still slowly leaking from his eyes. He looked at Holland and asked him, "Is it all my fault?"

"No," He answered

"But, I let her get out of my sight and –"

"It's not your fault, Renton!" He was stern.

"I'm such a fool!"

"Shut up,"

"If only I hadn't let her walk behind –"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" He yelled.

Renton Recoiled. "But –"

"Look, you did all you could to save her. I wouldn't expect anything more or less from you, to give it your all, and more. If you want to blame someone, blame those men lying in the corner. It is their fault, not yours. They were sick people, and from what you told me, they had done this to other girls as well. What they did is unforgivable, and death is the only thing they deserved. Now, stop blaming yourself."

Renton lowered his head and buried it in Eureka's shoulder again. Holland looked at Eureka, "Eureka, why don't we get your clothes back on. It's getting chilly. I don't want you to get sick."

"All…All…All right…Renton…Do…you mind?"

"Um, oh, yeah, right,"

He closed his eyes and slowly let her go. She stood up and walked over to the corner where her clothes were lying. She changed into her dress. Then she remembered that her underpants were cut to shreds and lying on the floor next to them. She looked at them, and she shivered. Holland spoke,

"Umm…don't worry about that. We'll just have to be careful how you sit until you get back to the Gekko."

She nodded. Her quiet mood troubled Holland. Renton opened his eyes. He walked over to Eureka, gave her a hug, and she returned it. She was no longer crying, but Renton (as well as Holland) knew she was still suffering on the inside. She would probably suffer for a very long time after this.

Renton and Eureka held their embrace. Holland simply beamed at Renton and Eureka, and then pulled out his cell phone and began to dial a number. He walked into another room. After he did, Eureka eased up on her grip on Renton. She looked at him, tears beginning to form in her lilac eyes. She spoke to him, in almost a whisper. "I…I was so scared. I…I didn't…I don't…What were they…" She couldn't hold it any longer. Renton felt terrible. He wanted to do something for her, but he couldn't think of anything. Then, "Eureka, look at me," She did so, he leaned into her and placed a kiss on her forehead. She tried to pull back at first, fearing any intimate contact with anyone. But slowly, she allowed him to hug her again. She felt a little more at ease with him there. She felt…safe in his arms.

Holland came back to the room, putting his cell in his pocket. "Mattheiu should be here in just a minute or so," He grabbed his jacket where Eureka had changed and put it on.

Holland rode crouched in the hand of the 606, and Renton sat in the rear seat, Eureka slowly falling asleep, her head in his lap. A tear or two would come out of her eyes once in a while, but Renton just ran his hand gently through her hair to calm her. (Not more than 6 months ago, she had done the same to him, but for a very different reason).

Holland must have told Mattheiu the gist of the story before they left. He stayed quiet for the majority of the time, only communicating with Holland through his com link and Holland's cell phone. It was the middle of the night.

As soon as they were back on the Gekko, Mischa took Eureka to the medical room for an examination. Renton went too, but they were kept in separate rooms. Before leaving, Mischa said to the crew, "If anyone tells the kids, I might poison their coffee in the morning!" She was very stern.

The night moved on. Renton sat in the medical room, stripped down to his boxers. He had his head down. Mischa came to him and put some gloves on. "Hey!" Said Renton, "They didn't do anything to me! I swear!"

"Calm down," said Mischa, "This is just so I can handle the needle. You sustained a pretty bad beating, and there's going to be some pain, so I'm sedating you for the night,"

"Oh…" He laid back on the bed. Mischa was prepping the needle.

"How's Eureka?" The question came quickly. Mischa didn't stop, and continued her task. She answered, "She is physically fine. Not a single scratch on her,"

"That's not what I asked!" Renton was very serious.

Mischa sighed. She gave him the shot and then responded, "Renton…When a woman goes through what Eureka goes through,…There can't help but be some psychological damage."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that it will be hard for her to ever have a comfortable feeling around men again. What those two men did to her is unforgivable, but just because they died, it doesn't mean the damage is gone as well. It will be some time before she will fully recover, if at all."

"…"

"Renton?"

Renton jumped off the bed and ran to the sink. He vomited. He was sick with himself. The guilt of letting this happen to her had made him very Ill.

"Renton…I do have one bit of good news,"

He spat, "What?"

"Though she was traumatized by this incident, she may heal quicker than I first thought. The men never completed the act, and because of that, the damage is very small compared to another case. As well, she has someone that she loves—you, Renton—and you are someone who she knows will never betray or hurt her. She may find refuge in you. And if she can find refuge, she can find help,"

"Can I see her…"

"Tomorrow,"

"Why not toni—"

"Because she needs to let this day and all the people in it dissolve away for the night. She needs a peaceful sleep to let her mind recover. You may see her in the morning. You can go ahead and return to your room. I'll watch over her tonight. I promise,"

"Kay…"

Renton put his shirt and pants on and walked out of the medical room. His sleep was full, but restless that night.

**B-Part End**


	3. Part C

**C-Part Start**

The morning came early to Holland. He had to fill out a lot of papers the night before, documenting the incident of the day before for Mishca. Talho had slept pretty well. He hadn't told her about it yet. It was 6:00 in the morning.

He went to check up on Eureka as soon as he had woken. However, when he reached the medical room, Mischa said that she had already left. "Yeah, she woke up really early this morning and wanted to go see Renton. I have to say, I was surprised to hear that, but I guess it makes sense," she said.

"Well, I guess I can leave them alone for awhile."

Holland walked to the bridge.

05:07 ZULU (One Hour Earlier)

A knock came at Renton's door. He woke up, rubbing his eyes and he went to the door. He was mumbling, "It's freaking 5:00 in the morning," He opened the door. He froze. It was Eureka dressed in a hospital gown. Before he could say anything, she grabbed him in an embrace and touched her lips slowly to his. His shock was overcome by his love for her, and he slowly embraced her too. He was enjoying the moment so much, as much as she was. But was she really enjoying it? Or was it something else, a want to feel normal? He thought about it randomly as they kissed. :They moved towards a wall and sank to the floor. They were sitting next to each other now. Eureka finally let go of his lips. They were both blushing from ear to ear.

"Um…Uh… uh…um-um-um…Eure- Eureka?" He was stuttering stupidly.

"What?" She said.

"…wow…that was amazing. I guess you're feeling better, huh?"

"m-hm,"

"Eureka?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Renton," she placed a sweet kiss onto his lips. He fell back onto the floor.

'This isn't right!' He thought, 'There's something wrong with all of this! She shouldn't be this happy so fast,' But he couldn't complain. If this was her, he was happy with it, but if this was just her reaching out to someone to love, then he needed to know. But what could he do to be sure?

Only one thing came to mind. He would try it in a month or so. Until then, he would keep things as they were now.

* * *

The month passed fairly quickly. 

Eureka slowly recovered, still breaking down into tears once in awhile, but never in front of Renton. It was either by herself or in front of the kids, but she would never tell them what had happened.

Renton was walking down the main corridor of the Gekko, towards the hangar to check on the Nirvash. He saw Eureka walking down towards him. She giggled as he passed her and she kissed him on the cheek, then increased her pace and skipped down the hall. 'It has to be tonight," he said. 'Nirvash can wait for a minute. We need to settle this _now_,' He turned around and started towards Holland's room.

He reached it soon and knocked on the door. "Holland, it's Renton. Can…Can I talk to you for a minute?" The door slid open. Holland was in his orange boxers. "Sure," he said. Renton walked into the room and sat down on the couch. Holland went back to reviewing the papers on the bed.

Holland spoke first. "So, what is it?"

"I…"

"Spit it out, already!"

"I…"

"Look, you're the one who came here, now talk,"

"I…"

"Yes…?"

"I'm gonna ask Eureka to have sex with me,"

It was if someone had turned off the energy in the room. Holland froze, looking at his papers. He turned his gaze on Renton. "Come again?" Renton said again, "I'm going to ask Eureka to have sex with me,"

"…no, you're not," Holland was very serious. "You and her are too young and –"

"Please Holland! I need to know if this is really Eureka or not!" Renton blurted.

"What do you mean, 'know if it's really Eureka or not'?"

Renton explained his suspicion. He told Holland what he and Eureka had been through and done in the past month. All the romantic times he's had with her. And he also explained his edginess at these times. He suspected that Eureka hadn't really healed, at all.

"Who do you think you're trying to kid, Renton?" Renton looked shocked at the question Holland just asked him. "Do you really think I'm going to buy that? I see it in your eyes, that lust for her. You just want to –"

"NO! THAT'S NOT IT AT ALL!" Renton stood up, shoulders looking broader than before. "Yes, I want her. I want her more than anything in the world. I would love to have her that way, with her enjoying it too," He began to blush, "But that isn't the reason I'm doing this! I already explained it to you! I have to make sure she totally trusts me and loves me enough to do this, or if this will bring back pain for her! Please Holland! I'm the only one who can save her!"

He sat back down.

Holland chuckled under his breath. '"I'm the only one who can save her.", that's rich.' He looked at him for a long while and thought about what Renton had said. 'What to do? If I let him, there could be repercussions, but if I don't, won't it be worse? What should I do…?'

He finally spoke.

"You _do_ understand what'll happen if you're wrong about all of this, right? You _do _understand what I'll do to you if you put her in more pain, don't you?"

"Yes," there was no emotion in Renton's voice.

"Alright. But, Renton, if she resists, and if you even touch her without her consent, I'll kill you, kay?"

"I would never do anything to harm her, Holland. You of all people should know that," Renton walked out of the room.

That night at dinner, Eureka was fairly quiet. Renton was both very excited and worried at the same time. He wanted her to be happy. So he had to help heal her. Before he could ask her to come with him back to his room, Holland called them both away. He led them down the main corridor and to the storage room. He opened the door. Renton was shocked. It was completely changed. Instead of boxes and crates, there was a queen bed and a couch. It was fully furnished, a real bedroom.

"Picked up the bed in Giannis," Holland started. "The couch Talho found, but God only knows where. All the other furnishings came from the storage room.

"Holland…I don't know what to say –"

"It's for both of you, together," Holland said.

Renton and Eureka looked at each other and blushed.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone. TV remote's in the bedside drawer. Don't…" he looked at Renton, "…make too much noise,"

He left the room.

"What did he mean by that?" asked Eureka. Renton looked at her and became very nervous. "Um… Eureka, about that…"

"What?"

He couldn't muster up the courage to say it. He dropped his head. 'I can't ask her after all,' he thought to himself.

Eureka walked up to him slowly. She put her arms around his neck, and leaned into him. She began to kiss him. He pulled back. "Stop," he said softly. She looked shocked. "Why?"

"Eureka, do you love me?"

Eureka didn't look shocked. She touched her forehead to his and grinned. "Yes, Renton, I do. I love you more than anything in the –"

"Really?"

"Of course! Why are you asking me this?" Renton looked down at his shoes, and thought very hard about what to say next. If she did truly love him, he didn't want to ruin things. He kept his silence. Eureka simply stayed quiet and looked at him, perplexed.

Renton looked up at her, looked deep into her eyes. 'How do I start this?' he thought. Then, he said, "I love you, ok? I want to be with you. But I only…don't take this the wrong way…I only want to be with you if you love me back. I want you to be happy."

"What are you saying? That I don't love you? Renton…"

"I know what it sounds like, but, Eureka… when… what we went through…" He remembered what Mischa had told him, "…any normal girl would have been changed forever, but you returned to normal almost immediately. And what worried me more was that you were openly showing your affection to me, but you never seemed damaged, not even a little,"

"And you're not happy with that?"

"I don't know if I'm happy or upset about it, but, I was worried that, you weren't completely healed." He paused, and looked into her eyes. "Mischa told me that you might just be reaching out to anyone who would accept you,"

A scowl came over Eureka's face. "So you think I'm just…"

"No! I don't think that at all! I was worried that you weren't loving me for _me_, but because I was the closest way for you to relax! I know that sounds mean, and uncaring, but I only wanted you to be happy! And that can't happen unless I know if you are over the experience or not!"

"But I _am _over it! I realized what happened to me and I dealt with it! Renton! It was you! It was all because of you that I had hope! I had hope that I would heal and I did!" Tears of frustration grew in her eyes, like a fountain ready to overflow. Her voice became hysterical and shaky, "How can I prove it to you? How can I prove that I'm really ok? Please Renton! I-I-I'll do anything! Please you've got to let me prove it to you!"

"Eureka…"

"Please Renton! Please!"

"Eureka…"

"Why won't you talk to me?! Talk to me!"

"Eureka, calm down…I didn't—"

"I thought we would be together! You don't even want me anymore?!! RENTON!"

"EUREKA!!"

Renton raised his hand and slapped her on the cheek.

That was the worst thing he could have done. And Renton realized what he had done the second he had slapped her.

She was more than shocked. Her pupils shrank, she stepped back from him, slowly, shaking, breathing heavily. Then she stumbled into a corner, shrank down. Renton walked over to her, slowly, trying to be calm. Eureka shielded herself with her arms. She flinched. Renton sat down next to her. He tried to hug her. She shook him off. When he tried again, she punched him in the mouth, screaming. "GET OFF OF ME!"

Renton recoiled. 'What have I done?' "Eureka, I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to hurt you! Please understand!"

Eureka said nothing. She was still shivering. She got up and ran to the door, opened it, and ran down the hallway, leaving Renton in the room, alone, lights dim, sitting in the corner.

'What _have_ I done?'

* * *

THE NEXT DAY 

13:45 ZULU

Holland was sitting next to Talho in the mess hall, in front of the TV. They were watching the news, learning of the new horrors Dewey had released upon the world.

"_The monster cloud that arrived at Saliso Olne, in the Tower State 12__th__ province a few months ago is now being called a Corallian. Information about this phenomenon has been classified as Top Secret and cannot be disclosed at this time, but what we do know is that researchers in the UF have recorded…"_

"Hey," said Talho, "What happened between Renton and Eureka the other day?"

"I don't know the specifics, Talho, so I can't tell you."

"Really?"

"All I know is that Renton somehow triggered the spark in Eureka that blew the bottle she was filling up. I guess she let everything out, and I think she's scared of him now,"

"Do you think it will stay that way?" asked Talho, seriously.

"I don't know; probably not."

"We should do something to help them, then?"

"I think Renton has already realized what situation he and her are in, but," he paused, "My concern is for Eureka. After what she went through a month ago…I don't know if she will be able to handle this hurt or not." He turned his attention back to the TV.

"_Now to our next story, the death of Admiral Kazihm last month was first thought to be from heart failure, due to the Admiral's old age and combination of health conditions, but now researchers are saying the true cause was…"_

Talho spoke again.

"You should talk to Renton, Holland,"

"Why?"

"Because whether you think so or not, you are the closest thing he has to a father,"

"And a father should guide his son, right?" He said sarcastically.

"Yes,"

"Then you should talk to Eureka, for the same reason,"

"I've got the harder job, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, but you are the only woman on board that could help her now…"

They sat together for awhile, half-listening to the TV.

* * *

20:34 ZULU 

The watch Holland was wearing read 8:34. He was on the bridge along with Hap and Talho, both at their posts. The light on the horizon was fading in a beautiful way. The trappars being emitted by the KLF squadron on the horizon were tinted orange, fluttering in the sky like a incandescent cape. Holland yawned.

"Hap, are we through the sea of rainbow clouds, yet?"

"Trappar's returned to normal levels and density. Count is normal. We're through."

Holland turned to Talho at her post in the pilot's seat. "Talho, set the autopilot to heading 0945 by 0587, and we'll let the computer and the trappers do the rest,"

"We're heading to Sandrial?"

"That's the plan,"

"Roger that," Talho fiddled with the autopilot controls for a few seconds, "Done,"

Holland stood. "Hap, make sure the Interferencer is working properly, set the alert level to night watch mode, and get to bed. Talho, come with me,"

"Roger," they both said. Talho stood and stepped out of her pod. She walked over to Holland and gave him a questioning look. He knew what she was asking with her eyes. He nodded, then Talho said, "I'll get going then," she turned and walked up the stair-ladder to the main deck of the Gekko. Holland looked one last time at the sea of Rainbow clouds, then followed her.

**C-Part End**


	4. Part D

**D-Part Start**

20:42 ZULU

Holland stopped at Renton's door. "Rento—"

"Go…away" Renton said, "I am NOT in the MOOD for this right now, OKAY?"

"I just want to talk, Renton," His voice was very calm.

"Oh, really?" Renton chuckled, "Or are you just here to beat the hell out of me?"

"That's not what I was going to do—"

"I mean, I _did _hit your precious princess, didn't I? I made her fear all men all over again, right?"

"Renton, I'm not here to punish you, or talk about that, I just want to help,"

"Then get the hell away from me,"

Holland paused, "Look, you're never going to get her back if you don't fix things. I'm here to help you out. But If you're too tied up with acting like a brat and crying, then I guess I can just leave you to it," He started to walk away when the door slid open. Renton stood in the doorway. He had no shirt on.

"Changed your mind?"

He nodded. Holland walked into the room. He looked around. The radiator had been knocked over, the sleeping bag was crumpled up on the floor, and the red jogging suit was in two pieces on the ground. Then Holland saw Renton's red-and-white jacket on the ground, tied in a noose fashion. 'Oh, God,' he thought to himself.  
"Renton, you weren't going to…?"

"Hang myself? I was thinking about it, but then I realized that there was no place to hang the noose, then it just became a bad idea altogether,"

"I'm glad you decided to take another shot at this, then," Holland grabbed the shirt and untied it. "Want me to help you get this place cleaned up?" He said cheerfully.

"I don't care,"

"Well, if you don't mind, I'll do it if you won't,"

"Go ahead,"

Holland walked over to the radiator and stood it up. "You know, Renton, I don't blame you if you hit her. You did do it to calm her down, right?" He plugged the radiator into the wall socket.

"M-hm,"

"Then I don't see what you did wrong, Renton. That is to say, I don't see how that was out of the ordinary," He picked up the shirt and pants of the jogging suit and re-hung them on the hanger. "However," he hung it on the hook on the wall, "You have to remember that Eureka was heavily damaged during that encounter a month ago, so she's going to be shaken by any physical contact with a man, especially you, Renton,"

"I was there, Holland, I watched them do it, remember?"

"I remember, Renton," He started to roll up the sleeping bag. "And that is why I think you are the only one who can truly help her through this experience. Like you said, you and her went through that together." He stuffed the sleeping bag into its bag and set it in the corner.

"I've heard this speech before, Holland. And do you see what me trying to help her got us?"

Holland sighed. "Look, if you want to beat yourself up for what you did, then you can go ahead and do it yourself. If I had another hand to wipe your ass with, then I would, but I don't, so either get over it, and try to make amends, or risk losing her forever. Your choice, but I know what _I _would do,"

"…You don't have to say it that way," Renton said. "I don't need that kind of crap right now,"

"Then let's talk about how to fix things between you and Eureka," Holland walked over to Renton and put his hand on his shoulder. "Between men, right?"

* * *

20:47 ZULU 

Talho found Eureka in the mess hall, eating a cup of soup. She was sitting on the couch in front of the TV, which was turned off. She had obviously been crying, Talho could see the streams of tears on her cheeks. Talho walked over to the couch and sat down. Eureka looked at her with wide, teary eyes. Then she collapsed into Talho's arms and began to cry. "There, there," said Talho, "It's alright, I know you're scared right now,"

"No, that's not it," sobbed Eureka, "It's just that…It's just… I trusted him so much, and I don't know if I can trust him anymore!"

"There, there," Talho patted her head. She held her tight, trying to be a mother-like figure.

"I love him, Talho, I love him so much, but I don't know…I don't…" Her cries and tears became uncontrollable. "Talho! I want to be with him so much, but I don't think he loves me,"

Talho grinned, "Eureka, Renton loves you more than anything else in the world, why would you think otherwise?",

"Because…because…he…he…he hit me!"

"He what?" Talho looked shocked.

"He slapped me across the cheek; all I did was…"

"Eureka, I don't think he meant to hurt you. It's not like Renton to do that, especially to you, the girl he loves. I think he was trying to get across to you."

"But…"

Talho sighed. "Look, why don't you get some sleep and we'll talk to him tomorrow, okay?"

Eureka nodded, her sobs slowly stopped.

"Come on, Eureka. Let's get you to bed,"

"But it's not even 9 o'clock yet!" Eureka protested.

"Well, then, what do you want to do, Eureka?"

Eureka picked up a pillow from the couch and slammed it into Talho's face. Talho looked shocked and a bit dumbfounded. She cracked a smile and then grabbed the pillow and hit Eureka. "If it's a pillow fight you want, you'll get one all right!"

They fought for about 30 minutes. Talho thought of something during the fight. 'What if this could be a way to get her used to contact again?' Talho tried giving Eureka harder blows each time, but being careful not to overdo it in case Eureka went into spasms again. She did not. Talho and Eureka became exhausted after about 30 minutes and both decided to go to bed. Talho walked her to her room. "We'll talk to Renton tomorrow, okay?" She watched Eureka's door slide shut with the usual swish sound. When Talho was sure that Eureka was getting into bed, she turned and walked to hers and Holland's room for bed.

* * *

She opened the door to see Holland on the couch relaxing, drinking a glass of brandy. She went to her bed and sat down, and took off her boots. The room was dark, with only the moonlight from outside shining through, leaving a peaceful ambiance about the whole area. She climbed into the queen bed she slept in, but sat up instead of lying down. Holland said nothing. 

"Are you going to ignore me tonight?" accused Talho. "How were things with Renton?"

"He'll be fine. He asked me to not tell anyone what went on with him and me, but I can tell you that he's better now."

"How far was he willing to go before you saw him?" she asked, sensing what Holland was thinking about.

"He was planning on hanging himself, apparently." Holland saw the terror in Talho's eyes and quickly added, "He got himself out of it, of course, and I don't really think he was going to go through with it in the end even if he had stepped up on the block. He was just in distress…you know how adolescence is,"

Talho wasn't amused, "Yes, but I doubt what any of what they're going through could be considered part of normal adolescence… Did you set him straight?"

"Yeah, but it's not going to be a smooth relationship between the two of them, especially since…well… you know about Eureka,"

"I know."

There was a pause. Talho had forgotten about the glass of alcohol in Holland's hand, "What's that for? I can't remember you ever drinking before,"

Holland explained, "I got it from Stoner's stash. I figured I'd need a few spirits after tonight, and this tastes remarkably good, though it's not Stoner's finest."

"Well, as long as you don't overdo it, Holland,"

Holland waved a hand in the air in a circular, passé motion, and he said in an accent, "Wi Madame Talho," Returning to his regular tone he asked, "So how did things go between you and Eureka?"

"Well enough, she's just a bit scared that Renton doesn't love her, but I reassured her of what he really feels. I think she'll be over this by tomorrow. I sent her to bed,"

"She cry?"

"Of course,"

"Good, she's letting it all out." Holland said under his breath. He looked at the clock on the wall, next to the radio. It read 9:17 p.m. "I'm going to bed, Talho,"

"I think I will too, it's been a long day, and…" she yawned, "We're all going to need some good rest for tomorrow, like you said,"

Talho laid down in the bed and closed her eyes. Holland grabbed a red wool blanket from the closet opposite the bed. He started towards the couch, but then paused, looked at Talho. He thought for a moment, then he walked over, leaned towards her, and kissed her on the forehead. "Thanks, Talho," she stirred in her bed, "You, too, Holland," Holland went to the couch, flopped down, covered himself, and slowly drifted to sleep.

**D-Part End**


	5. Final Part

**Final Part Start**

08:00 ZULU

The Radio turned on. _"Today we have an expected rise in trappers over the Sandrial area. Transparence light particles 24, later, 58, strong winds expected today over south Sandrial, any aircraft should use caution when traveling along coordinates 0987 by…" _

Holland turned the radio off. He walked over to the closet and got dressed. Talho had already left the room. 'We're in for a rough ride today,' he thought to himself. He opened the door, tightened his ascot, and walked down the hall.

Renton was sitting in the mess hall, eating a plate of eggs. Hap was behind the counter cooking, and Hilda was reading a magazine in the corner. The children were on the couch, playing with a toy that Renton had made for them awhile back. But one person was absent: Eureka.

Holland opened the door and walked over to Renton in his chair. He leaned over a bit and put his hand on his shoulder, "You ready,?" Renton looked up from his plate and just nodded in agreement. "Good,"

A few minutes later, Eureka walked into the room, dressed in a summer version of her usual blue-and-white dress. She met Renton's eyes and blushed, then sat down next to him. Renton's face turned a color of scarlet. The only noise was the sizzling of eggs in the kitchen. Everyone else seemed to be standing still and not paying any mind to the awkward silence surrounding the two teens. Renton was fidgeting in his seat, stabbing his eggs repeatedly. Eureka was twiddling her thumbs, not looking at him, but still trying to stay close to him.

Moondoggie walked in later, with Gidget at his arm. Every few minutes a new member of the crew would walk in, get eggs, sit down somewhere, and just leave them alone. Even the children did not try to get the two's attention.

Finally, Renton lost his restraint. He couldn't keep quiet anymore. He dropped his plate on the ground (which sent bits of egg over the floor). He put his hands on Eureka's cheeks, then moved them to her shoulder and neck, and then kissed her, as passionately as he could. Eureka blushed and her eyes went wide, but then she slowly succumbed to her love for him, and she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The entire crew had been watching them, even though they hadn't seemed like it. The moment Renton had dropped his plate, everyone had turned their attention to them. Now, 16 pairs of eyes were staring at their kiss. Not to say that Renton wasn't aware of what was happening. He wanted everyone to see.

The kiss lasted for 30 full seconds before Eureka finally pushed him away, and gasped. She closed her eyes and angled her head up, almost like she was enjoying the aftertaste of a fine cuisine. Renton just looked at her, and asked, "Are you alright now?"

She looked down at him, and smiled. Without answering, she slowly touched her lips to his and began to kiss him. 'I guess that means yes…' Renton thought.

"Hey, you two," Said Holland. "If you're going to do that, go back to your room,"

Renton said nothing but raised his middle finger towards Holland. The crew chuckled and looked at Holland for his reaction. "C'mon, I'm serious!" Renton switched fingers to his index and turned his hand around, signaling that he needed just another minute. He was still kissing Eureka.

They finally broke lips again. Then, Renton stood up, and almost dragged Eureka out of her chair, and then they ran out of the mess hall and disappeared down the hall, leaving the rest of the crew. Holland turned to the rest of the room, "Anyone disturbs them for the next few hours is gonna hear from me,"

* * *

Renton ran down the hallway and to the bedroom that Holland had made for them. He led her in quickly and then shut the door, locked it, and turned down the lights to just a candle's strength. He set the filter on the window to high, making the glass turn a dark, sunglass-like shade. Eureka just stayed still and watched his movements as the room became darker and darker. Then, Renton came up to her and put his arms around her neck. He kissed her on the forehead, then said to her.

"I love you, Eureka. And I want to be with you to be your strength,"

Eureka nodded with a smile on her face, eyes beaming.

"Oh Renton I love you too! I want the same as you; to be with you!"

"Then, do you want to…"

"Want to what?" She asked, puzzled.

"…have….sex with me?"

Renton had been expecting for her to recoil and back away like she had earlier, but she didn't budge. She leaned into him and hugged him. "Yeah," she said.

Renton was shocked, "You know what that means, right, Eureka?"

"I know what sex is, Renton, you don't have to worry,"

"Are…" he couldn't figure out how to say it without sounding condescending. "Are you _sure_ you're ready for it?"

"I'm ready if you're ready, Renton,"

Renton stepped backwards, Eureka following his movements. He spun her around and laid her down on the bed. He did a final check on the door's lock, making sure that they wouldn't be interrupted. The lock mechanism read "secure", and satisfied, Renton walked over and laid down next to her.

"You really are cute, Eureka," He said as he kicked his shoes off. Eureka smiled and touched his face, "So are you," she kissed him. The dark room, the soft bed, everything was perfect for them. And now, with Eureka healed and the bond between her and Renton fixed and grown, everything else could start again.

**The End**


End file.
